Resources for STEM Education Through Video Game and Animation Creation

Are your students fascinated by video games and animated stories? If so, incorporating game-making and/or animation-making in your classroom or as an after-school activity may be a successful way of teaching programming and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) content.

How is video game-making or animation-making an educational activity?

Students can learn a large number of skills while having fun making video games and animations. These skills can include:

Programming

Math

Creative thinking

Literacy skills

Logic

Engineering

Video game and digital animation correspond to a number of national STEM standards. Table 1 below includes a partial list of the STEM standards and skills integral to programming games and animations. Additional STEM standards can be incorporated by having students create games that focus on science concepts like ecosystems, or that incorporate physical principles like gravity and friction.

Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.

Abilities for a Technological World:

Students will develop abilities to apply the design process.

Students will develop abilities to use and maintain technological products and systems.

Students will develop abilities to assess the impact of products and systems.

Table 1. This table catalogs a variety of STEM skills and standards that can be addressed during students' creation of video games and digital animations.

If you are interested in learning more about the educational benefits of game/animation creation the Institute of Play, a non-profit focused on learning through digital media creation, has an extensive
reading list. Level Up's
Teacher Share is another resource for discussing resources and successes implementing game/animation creation in the classroom.

What kinds of video/animation making software are available? Are they free? What grades can use them?

A variety of game-making and programming environments are available for students to use for free, or at minimal cost. Several of them require absolutely no previous programming experience and can be used by children aged as young as elementary school. Other intermediate and advanced programming languages are more appropriate for high-school aged students who are ready to learn more formal programming theory. The guide to Kid-Friendly Programming Languages provides more details on the various software options.

I don't have time to make a game/animation curriculum. Are there any educational resources already developed?

Yes! Science Buddies has developed Project Ideas and resource guides for several fun, free game and animation packages. More details can be seen in the guide to Kid-Friendly Programming Languages.

Webpage with links to teaching materials for using StarLogo TNG to do a variety of tasks including creating simulations and mathematical models.

Table 2. Several kid-friendly programming languages have ready-made educational materials and curriculums that can be used for free in classrooms and as after-school activities.

What can my students do with the games/animations they create?

Students who use programming skills to create their own video games and/or animations may want to enter those creations in a local science or engineering fair. Students can also share their creations with larger audiences by publishing them in language-specific galleries. For more details, see the guide to Tips and Resources for Making Video and Computer Games.

You can find this page online at: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/CompSci_Teacher_VideoGame_Resources.shtml

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